Mediterranean Kitchen · Slow-Cooked
Tabbouleh
A bright, herb-forward tabbouleh built on finely chopped parsley and mint, with fine bulgur, crisp cucumber, and tomato in a simple lemon-olive oil dressing. Fresh, light, and 100% Halal.
100% Halal
Short on time tonight?
Our Houston kitchens have it ready — fresh, 100% Halal, made from scratch every day.
The Recipe
Ingredients
For the Salad:
- 500 g fine bulgur
- 1.2 L hot water
- 500 g spring onion finely chopped
- 1.2 kg parsley finely chopped (stems removed)
- 300 g fresh mint leaves finely chopped
- 1.5 kg Persian or English cucumber small diced
- 1.5 kg tomato small diced (seeded)
For the Dressing:
- 450 ml lemon juice
- 600 ml olive oil
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Method
Prepare the Bulgur
- Place the fine bulgur in a large bowl. Pour in the hot water, just enough to cover.
- Cover and let sit 10–15 minutes, until tender and the water is fully absorbed.
- Fluff with a fork to separate the grains. Drain any excess water completely and set aside to cool.
Prepare the Vegetables and Herbs
- Tomato: quarter, seed, and finely dice the flesh.
- Cucumber: small-dice; if very seedy, remove the center first. Keep pieces small and even.
- Spring onion: finely chop.
- Parsley: chop very finely, removing thick stems.
- Mint: finely chop the leaves.
Combine the Salad Base
- In a large mixing vessel, combine the cooled bulgur with the parsley, mint, spring onion, cucumber, and tomato.
- Toss gently to mix evenly.
Prepare the Dressing
- Whisk the olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and black pepper until emulsified.
Dress and Rest
- Pour the dressing over the bulgur and vegetable mixture; toss gently until evenly coated.
- Cover and rest about 30 minutes (cool room or refrigerated) so the flavors blend and the bulgur absorbs the dressing.
- Serve chilled or at room temperature.
Chef's Notes
Uniform Chopping: The finer and more even the chop, the better the texture.
Dry Your Herbs: Wet parsley or mint waters down the salad — spin or pat the greens completely dry before chopping. At batch scale, dry in stages so nothing sits damp.
Traditional Balance: Parsley is the star of an authentic Lebanese tabbouleh; the bulgur is a background element, not the bulk.
Scaling: This is a commercial batch (~60 portions). For home scale, divide all quantities by 10.
Storage: Best served the same day. Holds in the fridge up to 1 day, though the herbs lose brightness over time — dress in smaller batches through service to keep it fresh.
Also Known As: This dish is searched as tabbouleh, tabbouli, tabouli, and tabouleh — a classic Lebanese parsley salad and bulgur wheat salad. It's a naturally vegan and vegetarian Mediterranean salad, and like everything we make, it's 100% Halal. If you're looking for authentic tabbouleh in Houston or healthy Middle Eastern salad near you, this is the one we serve fresh daily.
Nutrition
Estimated, per serving
135
Calories
6
Servings
Total Time
Halal
Certified
The kitchen behind the recipe
This dish has been on our menu at Aladdin in Houston for nearly twenty years. Cook it at home wherever you are — and when you're in town, come taste the original.